Friday, February, 10, 2012

Mitral regurgitation - chronic

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Chronic mitral valve regurgitation; Mitral valve insufficiency


Symptoms

There are often no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they often develop gradually, and may include:

  • Cough
  • Fatigue, exhaustion, and light-headedness
  • Palpitations (related to atrial fibrillation)
  • Shortness of breath during activity and when lying down
  • Urination, excessive at night

Signs and tests

The doctor may detect a thrill (vibration) over the heart when feeling the chest area. An extra heart sound (S4 gallop) and a distinctive heart murmur may be heard when listening to the chest with a stethoscope. However, some patients may not have this murmur. If fluid backs up into the lungs, there may be crackles heard in the lungs.

The physical exam may also reveal ankle swelling, enlarged liver, distended neck veins, and other signs consistent with right-sided heart failure.

The following tests may be done:

  • Cardiac color-Doppler study
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Chest x-ray
  • CT scan of the chest
  • ECG
  • Echocardiogram (an ultrasound examination of the heart)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Radionuclide scans
  • Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)

Review Date: 05/06/2010
Reviewed By: Issam Mikati, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)